The Holy Spirit of God

Pentecost is in just a few days (May 27).  This celebration, which started out in Israelite life as a harvest festival (Lev. 23:15-21) came to full life in the New Covenant era when the Holy Spirit was given to the assembled disciples:  "On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.  And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability" (Acts 2:1-4).  It was clear that a whole new era was beginning, and the church continues to celebrate the Holy Spirit's person and role on this day.   

But the Holy Spirit seems mysterious to us.  There are only a couple of dozen references to the spirit of God in the Old Testament, and none of them is very clear as to what's going on.  For sure, this spirit comes from God, and when the spirit appears, God's will gets done (see for example 2 Chronicles 24:20).  But there's not much more until Jesus talks about the Spirit in John 14-17, and quite a few more descriptive comments in Acts and in the epistles.  So today, let's look first at some of what Jesus said.   

In John 14:16, Jesus says "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you."  The Greek phrase used here is allos paracletos.  The word "allos" means “another (in this case, Advocate or Helper) of the same kind.”  Jesus had been teaching them, correcting and encouraging them, helping them know the Father, for three years or so.  Now he would send another just like himself to the disciples -- which includes you and me, of course. 

In John 14:23, Jesus continues "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them."  And in verse 26, "But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you."  The Holy Spirit's role is to continue teaching, leading, correcting and encouraging us, by bringing the Father and Son to us in a living, ongoing interchange of love as they make a home in our minds and emotions.  We gradually learn to "hear the voice of God" and follow.  

There's a lot more, but let's remember:  the Holy Spirit is "another one just like Jesus" and is "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:16).  So it's important we learn to recognize and follow his voice.  We'll keep looking at that for awhile.